Concepcion hails MM mayors’ call to put NCR under Alert Lvl. 1
PRESIDENTIAL Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion welcomed the Metro Manila (MM) mayors’ unanimous vote to downgrade the National Capital Region (NCR) to Alert Level 1 starting March 1.
“It is a must that we bring NCR down to Alert Level 1,” Concepcion said. “With positivity rates in the NCR now below the levels set by the WHO [World Health Organization], the NCR is ready. We hope that the IATF will consider this recommendation,” he said.
Concepcion shared data from OCTA Research showing the positivity rate in the NCR decreasing to 4.9 percent as of February 21, or below the WHO’s recommended 5 percent levels for governments to consider reopening.
OCTA Research observed that this is the first time since December 26 and before the Omicron wave that the positivity rates fell below the WHO recommended levels. The independent research group also reported that the NCR remains at very low risk, with ADAR (or the seven-day average of new cases per 100,000) decreasing to 2.85, while the reproduction number remains stable at 0.21, or at very low levels.
Another key indicator, HCUR (healthcare utilization rate) remains very low at 25 percent. Neighboring provinces in Calabarzon are also remaining at low-risk levels, with Quezon province even improving to very low-risk levels.
“Easing restrictions here will be instrumental in how the country will recover and achieve a 6.5 percent GDP growth rate in the first quarter,” he said. With the new data from OCTA Research, he said that an earlier easing of restrictions is becoming more feasible.
“As mobility happens, [an] economic activity follows. We already saw how it can improve our GDP to 7.7 percent when we opened up in the fourth quarter. If we hit the high 5’s or even 6 in the first quarter, that would be great. And with the elections in the second quarter, there will be even more activity,” he said.
“We cannot allow our debt-to-GDP ratio to go beyond 60 percent, and for that to happen we have to have mobility,” he said.
He expressed optimism that alert levels may eventually be lifted altogether, saying that a state of public health emergency may no longer be necessary given there are currently no variants of concern, the country has achieved a higher vaccination rate, and healthcare utilization rates remain low.
Concepcion reiterated, though, that even with the easing of restrictions, vaccinations should continue, and people should observe the minimum public health and safety protocols to prevent key indicators from going up again.
